15 to 20 April 2019

Treasures of Menorca

Cala en Turqueta

Preu

€ 745

Type of trip

In groups, from 9 to 16 people

duration

6 days

Difficulty

Level 2 of 5

Destination

Minorca

Our destiny

Menorca, declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1993 year by UNESCO, is the scene of the proposal. Treasures of Menorca brings you closer to the wildest and most wild places and corners of this island in the Balearic archipelago where nature has been imposed on the laws of man. The chosen routes that run through different sections of the Camí de Cavalls -GR 223-, our transverse axis, will bring you to many of the jeweler's jewels. Coves, headlights, watchtowers, towns, cities, ravines, dunes, rock deserts, Toro ... A tight program that you have to live to enjoy the essence of the island and complete the puzzle of the various physiognomies.

Strong points:

Walk around the island of the Balearic archipelago declared Biosphere Reserve 1993 year by UNESCO.

Discover virgin beaches on the north coast (Cavalry, Binimelá, Pregonda and Pilar ...) and on the southern slope (Turqueta, Macarella and Macarelleta ...).

Overcome ravines that alter the biodiversity of the area, such as that of Cala en Porter and Es Canutells.

Itinerary:

Meeting with the group at the airport and flying to Maó. Once we reach the capital of Menorca, we move to Sa Mesquida to start the trip on the ground of Menorca. From this place we open the box of the treasures of the island on a beach surrounded by dune vegetation and a humid area where they bring out a good set of endemic plants. The first steps along the Camí de Cavalls, with doors that will have to be closed after crossing them, goes deep into the essence of a journey full of history.

Es Grau, with the Natural Park of s'Albufera - the largest wetland in the island and a treasure for lovers of birdwatching - is a forced stop to understand the merger between land and sea. From this quiet place and with the rumor of the sea, we continue along the wooden pillars on the eastern side of the island, discovering treasures such as Cala des Tamarells, Cala de sa Torreta, Cala d'en Cavaller ... And almost without realizing it, we make to the north-east extreme where there is the Favàritx Lighthouse, a caramel from the Mediterranean.

At the end of the first day on foot we will take advantage of it to reach us to Alaior, a small industrial city - where the dairy and cheese industry stands out and from where the Minorcan ice cream was born - with a lot of university life. Then we will go to the hotel in Cala en Bosch, facing the sea.

After breakfast, we move to the only village on the north face of Menorca, Fornells. Near the nucleus we find Ses Salines Noves or Concepció -a humid zone of high ecological level due to the presence of the birds that inhabit it-, a possible option to visit.

The Bay of Fornells hides coves with contrasts - Cala Roja and Cala Blanca-, two islands - to Sargantana and des Ravells -, the Celada Goat - a unique rock formation - and the whiteness of the houses of a village that lives under the watchful eye firm of the Torre de Fornells.

After crossing the corners of the village and climbing up to the Tower, we will go to the starting point of the route today, Cala Tirant or Platges de Fornells. The itinerary follows a good section of the north face, the most fertile part of the island, showing treasures of remarkable geological richness and places of great biodiversity such as Macar Grande, Capo and the Cavalleria Lighthouse known as "El North of the North ", the Beach of Cavalry and Cala Mica. The last surprise of the day is when we arrive at Binimel·là where the environment invites us to return to the next day.

Before returning to the hotel, we stop visiting Es Mercadal, the white town at the foot of the Toro mountain, where, until many years ago, there still could be found in the municipality inhabitants that had never known the sea for a lifetime .

Distance: 8,43km + Rise / descent to the tower of Fornells + option Far Cavalleria (The North of the North - it will be necessary to add 3km approx.)

We are at the heart of the journey and we face the queen stage, a day where nature is breathed virgin in every way. Recovering the trace of yesterday, we move towards Cala Pregonda - filled with rocks of volcanic origin of a yellowish white that fill it with an enigmatic air. In a game of ascents and descents we discover the Illes Bledes, Cala Barril, Cala en Calderer and Els Alocs, a steep terrain watered down by the waters of the Marine Reserve of the North of Menorca, a maritime space of great biodiversity created to guarantee the conservation of marine species and the sustainable development of the area. And maybe we think that the beauty of that day is over ... But we must wait to step on Cala del Pilar to complete a real work of the natural environment.

After a good breakfast, where you have to take the strength for the longest stage of the trip, we will move to Cala Morell, the exact point where the two rocky units of the island - the area of ​​midway and the north - they unite Before beginning to leave ephemeral footprints on the ground, we visit the impressive necropolis of the Talayotic period - 1500-300 BC -, formed by caves excavated on the rock. The route leads us to the west to cross a desert zone, shaped by the fierce north wind, to Punta Nati, where we discover the third of the six lighthouses on the island. The rows of dry stone and huts, where the flocks take refuge from the inclement weather, make us aware of the harsh conditions of rural life in this rocky sea.

We move close to the west coast by slipping some of the stone tips that face the sea such as Espardina, Perpinyà de Fora and Dins or Esquitxador. Near the Cap de Bajolí there is another treasure, the Pont d'en Gil - a natural rock bridge formed by the whimsical swings of the sea. By diverting our gaze to the lunar landscape, a prehistoric construction, the Nudist of Tudons, a funeral monument of the pretalayotic period (2000-1500 BC) built with large stone blocks in the shape of an inverted ship, draws our attention.

The last part of the itinerary brings us together with the artificial constructions that have found the balance with nature. From Calespiques we have the hotel nearby and take advantage of the afternoon to get to know Ciutadella at a slower pace and discover, among many of the surprises that are hidden, the lighthouse of Ciutadella and sa Farola.

The Treasures of Menorca are all over the island. For the moment we have discovered them in the east, north and west, but we still have to find them in the south. So today we will leave the hotel on foot to climb the path to the viewpoint of sa Guarda and until they are Saura where we expect a complementary physiology to the north: tips like the Governor or na Bruna and coves such as from Talaier, Turqueta Macarella and Macarelleta will fill us with whitish colors and blue tones making us taste the paradise. Although encountering Cala Galdana is a shock to the retina, the beauty contemplated will cost to erase.

We arrive at the last day of the trip and we will use it to find more treasures in the south and southeast. The itinerary starts from Cala en Porter, where an amazing humid area is surprised that forms behind the beach, resulting from the ravine that leads to the sand. We walk along the Camí de Cavalls and stop at Calescoves almost everywhere to observe the necropolis of the Talayotic period characterized by its one hundred burial caves. Then we continue the route to the ravine of Cala de Canutells, where the forest of Olmos stands out and we reach Es Canutells, where we end the first section of our route.

As we move to the second walk of the day we make a new stop almost forced to the white and artificial town of Binibéquer Vell to get lost by the labyrinths

alleyways Then we take the transfer to Punta Prima, in the southeast extreme of Menorca, and we observe the balance that the Island of the Air, where the Lighthouse stands out (the sixth of the island) Illot des Cagaire maintains with the Mediterranean.

From Punta Prima Beach to Cala de Sant Esteve, we get to the south-east of Menorca: Na Foradada, Cala Alcalfar, Torre de defensa in Penjat and the Fort of Marlborough are the last treasures we appreciate on this trip in which Cala de Sant Esteve closes the discovery and the beam of ephemeral footprints of the program.

Finally, we make the transfer to the airport to take the return flight.

Distance: 5,4km + 7,3km

Cumulative difference: 100m + 80m

The new proposal to know the wildest corners of the Biosphere Reserve

Montserrat Puig

WHO IT IS FOR:

Those people who are accustomed to walking in the mountains and who want to know this area quietly, walking and going through the most interesting places.

El Far de Artrutx

Difficulty

2 5 level: itineraries between 4 and 5 hours and do not exceed 500m of accumulated slope